PQ, secular charter defeat celebrated in Montreal

EMSB and ASSÉ want to bring different education issues back to forefront with new Liberal government

PQ leader Pauline Marois takes the stage after her party was defeated in the provincial election Monday April 7, 2014 in Montreal. Marois lost her seat in Charlevoix-Cote-de-Beaupré to Liberal candidate Caroline Simard. (Paul Chiasson/CP)

“[I’m] elated. I know democracy works. The people have spoken, chosen, and I am really happy that Quebecers are not racist. I have my confidence back,” said Ashraf, the secretary of the Montreal chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.

PQ was ‘irresponsible’ with charter

Former Bloc Québécois MP and president Indépendantistes pour une laïcité inclusive Jean Dorion said the PQ is now paying for some major miscalculations it made when it bet on Bill 60.

'We’re not about to celebrate the return of a Liberal majority government.'- Bejamin Gingras, ASSÉ

The division created by Bill 60, when it was leaked in August 2013, was believed by many to be an invented wedge issue meant to send Quebec into an identity crisis that would eventually pave the way to a referendum.

"Of course some people have misconceptions about intercultural relations and about the Muslims especially who were the main target of the [secular charter]," Dorion said.

"I think you can exploit that or you can try to diffuse that when you are a responsible government," he continued, adding that the PQ had been “irresponsible.”

Couillard unites anti-charter contingent

Ashraf said the charter debate made her feel uncomfortable in Quebec and prompted her to consider leaving. Now that the PQ has been defeated, she said she feels at home once again.

“We all have our languages, and we all have our ways of dressing and we all have our different cultures, but we work together,” Ashraf said.

Her message echoed the words of incoming premier Philippe Couillard, who repeatedly touched on bringing Quebecers together in his victory speech last night.

“Education was so absent as an issue in the electoral campaign that it’s hard to know what [Couillard’s] plans are. All we know is that he is in favour of indexation, but we don’t know the rest,” Gingras said.

Gingras said he wasn’t surprised by — or pleased with — the Liberal win.

"We’re not about to celebrate the return of a Liberal majority government," Gingras said.

However, he said, he would have been just as unhappy with a new PQ government.